08 August 2002
“Small Parts of Texas”
Dears Friends and Family:
August greetings from The Great Republic of Texas, where we’re fielding lots of questions such as, How do we like Texas? What’s Texas like? How are Texans?
In response, we can say that Texans are truly “a breed apart.” Where else can you find such slogans as:
• God bless John Wayne
• * Texas Pride
• * Don’t Mess With Texas
• * The Eyes of Texas are Upon You (haven’t yet figured out if that’s good or bad)
• Charleton Heston is God
• * It’s a Texas Thang - Life is Good
• And our current favorite: “American by birth; Texan by choice.”
We’ve never lived anywhere where folks are as proud to proclaim their loyalties and independence as are Texans. It’s both amazing and amusing. Sometimes simultaneously.
Yep, it’s safe to say that Texans are indeed A Breed Apart. No, really. They are. They’ll tell you so. Most Texans we’ve met generally consider the rest of the U.S. to be either “a part” of The Lone Star State, or just “Texas Wannabees.” A typical Texan perspective:
-- West Texas = anything west of El Paso, including “New Texico,” The Arid Zone and Pacific Texas (California)
• North Texas = anything above the Texas panhandle, including Okiehoma, Why?oming, and “Big Sky Texas.” We’re told that this latter portion of “North Texas” was recently renamed after an NFL quarterback named Joe
• East Texas = all Gulf Coast real estate
• New England Texas = anything bordering the Northeastern Seaboard
• Greater Texas = everything between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Texans claim this property either used to belong to the Lone Star State or wants to belong to the Lone Star State!
Interestingly, the only territories Texans DON'T lay claim to seem to be New York and Washington, D.C. they may have lightened up on D.C. a bit now that one of their own resides in that district’s big White House. But they still deem New York a “foreign country.”
So, how would we describe most Texans? Friendly. Free-spirited. Helpful and hospitable. The Texans we’ve met smile easily, tease heartily, and never me a barbecue they didn’t like (spelled “Bar-B-Q”—Texas style). They’re also loyal, patriotic, and independent. Twangy. Insane drivers. And kind of kooky.
We oughtta fit right in.
Six Small Parts of Big Texas,
Chris and Kristine
Daniel (11), Nathan(8), Sammy (6), Josiah (3)